M551 Sheridan replacement process

The Armored Gun System (AGS) was a U.S. Army competition in the 1990s to design a light tank to replace the M551 Sheridan and TOW-equipped HMMWVs. It was the ultimate incarnation of several research programs run in the 1970s with the aim of providing air-mobile light infantry forces with the firepower needed to last in the battlefield.

There were three primary entries into the AGS contest. Cadillac Gage offered its Stingray light tank with the traditional four-man layout. FMC offered the Close Combat Vehicle Light (CCVL) with a three-man configuration. Teledyne offered its Expeditionary tank which had a two-man layout with an unmanned turret.

In 1992, FMC's design was selected and given the name M8 Armored Gun System. However, purchases of the M8 were cancelled in 1997. The role was ultimately filled by the Stryker M1128 Mobile Gun System, which will be retired in 2022. In 2017, the Army requested proposals for the Mobile Protected Firepower requirement. The Army downselected BAE Systems' variant of the M8 AGS and General Dynamics Land Systems Griffin II. The Army reportedly disqualified BAE's proposal in March 2022. The GDLS Griffin II light tank was selected in June 2022. The initial contract is for 96 vehicles with first delivery by the end of 2023. The first units are expected to be equipped with it by 2026.